Dear Friends,
It is exactly now nine years that we came to Onseepkans and we thank God for how He has kept us until now.
We hope that you are all well. Here in South Africa we are in our first month of spring. We are grateful that the Lord has led us safely through the winter season and Covid19.
We would like to share with you some of our current interactions with the community around us.
Outcasts and a Date Plantation
About seven years ago a kind donor of ITMI helped us to obtain an irrigation plot of 4.5 ha nearby our house. Since the whole plot was overgrown by intruder Prosopis thorn bushes, we had no idea how to clean the plot or what will be the way ahead. Imagine ITMI and this donor willing to invest in a thorn bush covered field in a foreign country, in blind faith that somehow this investment will carry fruit for God’s Kingdom. We honour them for their trust in God and trusting us that this will all work out for God’s glory, even though we could not give them any plan for the way ahead.
The Plot on the right covered with Prosopis Bushes
Then Rev. Erlo Stegen (the leader of Kwasizabuntu Mission), a man whom we respect very much and who had a tremendous influence on our spiritual lives, visited us one day. He asked if we would be interested in date trees. Of course we said yes and a few months later he gave the finances to clean the plot. Once it was clean he sent us 163 Medjool date trees by truck from Kwazulu Natal, more than 1400km away! Then he also sent his son in law, together with a team of workers, to come and plant the trees! This he did free of charge to us. We thank the Lord for what He did through His servant for us and we can only honour uncle Erlo for all that he meant for us and God’s Kingdom over the years.
The Date Plantation
Now imagine being a young man from the local community involved with drugs and alcohol abuse, trying to get work in an environment where commercial farmers are reluctant to make use of local labour. Add to this the whole COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession or even depression and your chances for work are next to zero. Furthermore, some agricultural contractors abuse the situation by giving these men work, but do not pay them their due wages at the end of the contract. Most of the time they just sit at home, with no prospect for work and caught in the vicious cycle of idleness and subsequent alcohol and drug abuse. These are the young men that approached me a few weeks ago and asked me if I cannot give them work in our date field.
With the help of some kind donors, I was able to provide these young men with work and some hope for the future. My agreement with them was that I paid them R25 ($1.56) per hour, which is above the average wage of R20 ($1.25) per hour, but with the difference that I only paid them for the hours that they were working. In that way they determined their own wages by the amount of hours that they were willing to work.
I also had the opportunity to read from the Bible to them and held a small devotion as well as answering some of their questions that they had regarding the Christian faith. I could see how much it meant for these men that someone was willing to trust them and give them an opportunity to work.
Some of the testimonies coming from these men:
“I am so thankful that I can work here. Each afternoon when I go home, I have learned more about the Lord.”
“While working at other places we would talk about other people and their wrong doings, but here we learned not to do that.”
“If we used swearwords while working Gerhard’s son, Jurie, reprimanded us and said that we should not do that because it defiles the hearts of those listening to these words.”
“I can feel that I am changing when I work here.”
Some of the young men asked that we must keep some of their wages for them until the end of the week. In this way they save some money for food. Since we currently cannot afford to employ them anymore, these young men regularly contact me and ask when they can come and work again.
Please pray for them, that God’s light will shine into their hearts through what they had received, and that their lives will be changed. Please also pray that God will continue to provide the financial means so that we can continue to minister and give work opportunities to these young men.
Young Men Working in the Date Plantation
A Traditional Wedding
Last weekend, we were asked by an elderly lady that attend our services to assist with the wedding of her son. They were going to have a wedding function in the informal settlement, at her home. We assisted with benches, chairs and tables that were needed. We also helped to provide meat and cake for the wedding guests.
The Bridegroom’s Mother and Family Before the Wedding
Sunday afternoon as we went to deliver the food, we witnessed the traditional Nama Wedding ceremonies. It was an interesting experience. I will shortly describe the proceedings.
At the beginning of the wedding, all the wedding guests gathered at the bridegroom’s house. They played traditional Nama music and the guests danced the traditional Nama dance while they waited for the bridegroom and bride. When the bridegroom was ready, he came out of the house dancing. Cheering and dancing everyone followed the bridegroom on his way to the bride. Meanwhile the bride along with her maids and a few close friends came dancing from the opposite direction, towards the bridegroom’s party. Soon the two parties met. Then the bridegroom tried to catch his bride, but the wedding guests pushed him away. They made a circle around the bride to stop the bridegroom from coming close to her. At last the bridegroom after quite a struggle broke through all the hindrances and caught his bride. Everybody cheered. Taking her arm, he danced her back to his family’s house.
A day or two before the wedding a sheep was slaughtered and the fresh sheep manure from the stomach was kept for the ceremony. This manure was spread out on the ground before the entrance of the yard and the bride and bridegroom had to dance over the manure into the yard. This was a sign of good wishes and prosperity, indicating a “kraal” full of goats and sheep.
Kraal (also spelled craal or kraul) is an Afrikaans word for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within a (Nama) settlement or village surrounded by a fence of thorn-bush branches, a palisade, mud wall, or other fencing, roughly circular in form.
The Bride and Groom
After the bride and groom sat down at the wedding table, they asked me to say something and to open all the proceedings with prayer. I thanked them for the example that they set for the community by following and obeying the Lord’s ordinance of marriage. I encouraged them to make God the centre point of their family and marriage. In the Nama tradition if the bridegroom have a child from a previous relationship, he is subjected to the "door cleansing" ceremony whereby a lamb is slaughtered and the door of the house painted with the blood diluted with water. In this way he asks for forgiveness from his new bride and in-laws. I used this example to further point them to the Lord Jesus, Whose blood was shed for our sins.
We are thankful that we could participate and assist in this special event. One of the young men that worked on our date field attended the wedding and told his friends that they should rather marry than to live together with their girlfriends in sin!
First brick house in 62 Years
Imagine if you had to wait for sixty two years to have a proper home. This is the experience of an elderly lady in Onseepkans. She grew up in a small reed house of two or three rooms. Every time it rained the water would sweep through the house. Once, when she was a small girl, there was a great flood which destroyed their reed house and they had to rebuild it.
Now as an elderly lady of 63 years, dependant on her government grant, she lives in the nearby settlement. Since she could not afford to build a proper house on her small plot, she had to use alternative materials and built a reed house such as her childhood home. Although the reed house had a cement floor, whenever it rained the water would drip in through the broken roof and soak the blankets. If a big storms occurred the water would sweep through under the walls and flood the floor. Although through the years the government helped to build homes for people around her, even her neighbours and own family members, for some reason although she always applied, she was left out.
Thankfully, a large local solar power company decided to build houses for a few needy and elderly people and this lady was one of them. She was so excited that after waiting all these years, she would also now have a proper home of her own. Her house is now nearly finished and although they will paint the house and also put a ceiling in, she will still need curtains and basic house hold furniture such as a table and chairs. Over the years we built a relationship with this lady and witnessed how she became more and more receptible to God and His Word. Every day my children sends her a Bible text on her cell phone. She express her gratitude and says that it means a lot to her. Please pray and trust with us that God will provide the means that we can help her with her need.
The Elderly Lady Standing in front of Her New Home
The Spread Kindness, Spread Joy Campaign
During this time of the Covid- 19 pandemic, we saw the great need for masks in our community. Although there were government initiatives and individuals making masks for themselves, there still was a great need. We tried to make cloth masks, but we realized that it was nearly impossible for us to make enough to fill this need. Therefore, we were so thankful to aQuellé (the mineral water bottling company of our main mission, Kwasizabuntu) when they send us 300 cloth masks to distribute in our local community, Onseepkans, and the town nearby, Pofadder. Distributing masks were part of the Spread Kindness, Spread Joy campaign aQuellé launched in which they encourage people to spread kindness and joy during the time of fear and uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Pofadder, we were able to give some to the local United Reformed Church. The Pastor distributed it to all the sick and elderly members of his congregation. They were thankful for the masks and said that it met a great need in their congregation.
In Onseepkans, we handed out masks to the mothers of the households which we supplied with food parcels the past months. Some of the masks we also could hand out to young men, who many times do not experience someone caring for them in this way. Others we also give to elderly people who also needed masks.
One of the Young Men with His Mask
Last month, we had the privilege to assist with the funeral of an elderly lady, aunt Sina. We had a special relationship with this lady. She lived in the middle settlement of Onseepkans and was a beacon of hope to her community. We gave masks and sanitizer to the family, which helped them to adhere to Covid-19 regulations during the funeral. They deeply appreciated it.
Our local clinic also had a need for masks. Many times people comes to the clinic and then they do not have masks. The clinic then give them disposable masks which they afterwards must throw away. However, now if the clinic give people these cloth masks they can use it again and again.
It was a privilege for us to be part of this campaign in this way! We thank aQuellé for sending us these masks and we pray that the Lord would bless them richly for caring about the people of South Africa.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRD6NuvZlTQ )
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrCZP4rOTFc )
Elmanè shares:
Porridge distribution
Recently, we were approached and asked if we cannot help to distribute food to the Onseepkans community. The sponsors especially wants to help the children. Many parents have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 virus. Therefore, there is not enough money at home to buy food and many children suffer. For those whose parents struggle with alcohol or drug addiction, it is even worse. Now the little money which comes into their homes must first supply these habits and the money that is left (often there is nearly none) is used for food.
The sponsors buy a bulk supply of instant porridge which is full of the vitamins and minerals that children need. With four spoons of powder and a cup of water it makes a healthy and filling meal.
We measure the porridge into single servings and place it in small plastic bags. Then, we go and distributed these bags in bulk to the community and church leaders. Now, whenever any of the children is hungry they can go to these people and receive servings of porridge.
A New Supply of Porridge
When we go to deliver new supplies of porridge to the different distribution points, we are surprised to see how the children are eagerly waiting for the new supplies to arrive so that they can receive their porridge. The community and church leaders also share with us how much the porridge means to the children. The children are learning to know that if there is no food at home, they do not have to be hungry, but that they can go and fetch porridge.
Children Standing in Line to Receive Porridge
Thankful Boys
Children with Porridge
We are thankful for this opportunity which the Lord gives us to work together with our local community and church leaders to make a difference during this difficult time. This is a wonderful opportunity to build relationships and spread the joy of helping those in need.
In conclusion
We thank the Lord for all your support that makes God’s work possible here in Onseepkans. May the Lord richly bless and keep you all.
Gerhard, Elmané and Children
